Food plate with beverage container receiving portion

ABSTRACT

A food dish includes a food-holding portion and, at one edge, a beverage receiving portion formed by a parabolic arcuate wide-mouth opening having a recess perimeter that has a depending skirt portion about its entire length, which receives a beverage container and allows a user to easily hold a beverage secured against the skirt and the food plate together in one hand, freeing the other hand for other activities.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

SEQUENCE LISTING

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device for allowing a user to easily hold abeverage container, which may have various sizes and shapes and a foodplate together at the same time using the same hand while maintainingdirect and continuous control over the beverage container at all times,with the two functions of a beverage container holder and a food platerealized in a single device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART INCLUDING INFORMATION DISCLOSED UNDER 37C.F.R. 1.97 and 1.98

At social functions and parties, it is common for people to be servedfood and beverages. It is also common for such gatherings to offer onlyvery limited spaces where people can conveniently set down either theirfood plate or their beverage container. Often, a person will hold a foodplate in one hand and a beverage container in the other. If the personwants to pick up food from the food plate, the person typically must setthe beverage container down somewhere, often on the floor or the ground,in order to have a free hand to pick up food from the food plate or toshake another person's hand, or the like. It would be most useful to beable to hold the beverage container and a food plate in one handsimultaneously and securely. As it happens, a number of efforts toprovide related devices are described in patents and published patentapplications. All of these efforts fail in one way or another. Most failegregiously by requiring the user to relinquish control over thebeverage container to the device itself, which frequently results in anunstable arrangement, or the need for the user to have full use of bothhands in order to separate the beverage container from the device, whichis counter to a person's natural instinct, that is, the desire tomaintain maximum control over the beverage container at all times. This,in turn, requires setting the container down, reducing the utility ofsuch devices, for if the user can easily set the beverage container downon a table or the like, then tables are readily available and a devicefor holding a food plate and a beverage container easily in one hand isnot needed, but when such devices are set down, many of them are notstable, or tend to rest at an angle that is not parallel to the tabletop or other surface. Many prior art devices are esthetically unpleasingand, while perhaps suitable for use at a picnic or while camping, wouldnot be desirable at a more formal social function. The device of thepresent invention will lie flat on a flat surface, has a pleasingesthetic appearance and is therefore suitable for use for any occasionor social setting, all of which increases the marketability of thepresent invention. The device of the present invention is highly suitedto extended use while socially interacting with others, whereas manyrelated prior devices appear to be oriented to simply carrying a drinkfrom one place to another, where a table or other surface will beconveniently available.

U.S. Published Patent Application Number US 2010/0308059 A1, disclosingan invention by Berg, was published on Dec. 9, 2010 and discloses aHandle Device for Plate comprising a tray having a handle in the form ofa semi-cylindrical shape fastened to the bottom surface of the plate.The handle originally lies flat against the bottom of the plate, but canbe pivoted downwardly into a vertical position underneath the plate. Thebeverage container is held underneath the plate against the handle.There is no aperture through which the beverage container is passed.This design makes it very awkward to set the plate down on a table. Italso makes it impossible to accommodate dramatically different sizes ofbeverage containers because the entire length of the upper edge of thehandle is fastened to the plate. Nor is it clear how a user couldreadily disengage the beverage container from the handle with one handsince the handle appears to be about as wide as the user's hand, so theentire hand would have to disengage from the handle or the user wouldhave to somehow slip his hand around the beverage container, therebydisengaging it from the handle. This appears to be an impracticaldesign. Further, the device of Berg cannot lie flat on a flat surfaceand in fact cannot be set down at all when its handle is deployed intothe usage position.

U.S. Design Pat. No. D595,093 S, issued to McComas on Jun. 30, 2009,discloses a Compartmented Plate with Caddy comprising a tray having acup-holder opening portion adjacent to one end of the tray. Thecup-holder portion is substantially circular, with two arcuate arms thatdo not quite meet at the perimeter of the tray, leaving a slot-likeopening. The thickness of the cup-holder well is the same as thethickness of the enlarged perimeter of the tray, likely for increasingrigidity. Most of the thickness of the cup-holder projects upwardlyabove the general level of the tray. This device requires that the uservery carefully insert the beverage container into the cup holder andrequires that a tumbler or cup be inserted from the top of the tray, buta beverage container having a stem would require the stem to be insertedthrough a receiving slot. It does not appear that there is any mechanismby which the user can grasp the beverage container in the cup holderwith the same hand that is holding the combination plate. Thus, in usethe user loses contact with, and hence, control over, the beveragecontainer and must therefore surrender its control to the plate. Thecircular cross section cup holder renders it suitable for holding only atapered beverage container having a diameter close in size to thediameter of the cup holder, so the device cannot be used with a varietyof shapes and sizes of beverage containers. Using this device with afull beverage container results in a substantial cantilevered load onthe user's hand because the beverage container, the heaviest item islocated at the farthest point away from the user's grasp. As a result,this device will cause user fatigue in a short time. Furthermore,removal of the beverage container from the plate will result in a rapidshift in its center of gravity, causing the plate to jerk unless theuser carefully controls it to account for the change in balance.Finally, in order to hold this device securely, the user's thumb must beplaced into the same area of the plate where food will be placed. Allthese limitations reduce the utility and marketability of this design.

U.S. Published Patent Application Number US 2009/0152157 A1, disclosingan invention by Schaaper et al., was published on Jun. 18, 2009 anddiscloses a Serving Tray comprising a tray having an upstanding sidewall portion about its entire perimeter, which lies at an oblique angleto the floor of the tray. Both the tray and the side wall portioninclude a very shallow arcuate indentation that allows a server to holdthe tray with the arcuate indentation pressed against the crook of hiselbow while grasping the opposed perimeter portion of the tray with hiscorresponding hand. Other than simply placing a beverage containerdirectly onto the serving tray and thus surrendering control of thebeverage container to the tray; there is no mechanism that would allowthe user to maintain continuous and direct control over the beveragecontainer while holding the tray at the same time using the same hand.Further, the upstanding side wall portion about the perimeter of thetray extends upward and outward from the floor of the tray; so that anybeverage container placed into close proximity with the outsideperimeter of the tray would require a tapered shape that is oppositefrom the shape of most beverage containers because many beveragecontainers have a taper that is larger at the top and smaller at thebottom. This device was never intended to be used as a food plate and itclearly cannot provide the utility of the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,284,675 B2, issued to Chang on Oct. 23, 2007 for a FoodPlate discloses a flat rectangular sheet of material bowed along bothits length and width to form a generally concave shape as seen fromabove having a circular opening near a corner of the tray which willhold a tapered beverage container having a diameter somewhere along itslength that is close to the diameter of the opening in the tray. Thedevice cannot be used with beverage containers of different shapes,e.g., a wine glass or conventional bottle, and does not allow the userto maintain direct control over the beverage container at all times. Thedevice is intended to be held at the end of the tray farthest from thebeverage container, thus creating a large and unstable cantilevered loadthat will cause user fatigue quickly. As with Caddy and McComas, above,the removal of the beverage will container result in a shift in thecenter of gravity of the tray, perhaps resulting in spillage. Thisdevice is clearly lacking in the esthetic appeal that would allow it tobe suitable for use at any but the most informal venues.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,799 B1, issued to Hamre on Feb. 21, 2006, disclosesa Hand Held Service Tray comprising a food tray having a well forreceiving a beverage container. The well includes a floor or bottomwall, which includes a slot 52 for receiving, for example, the stem of awine glass. The side wall of the well is circular in horizontal crosssections and tapered toward the bottom wall, allowing the beveragecontainer wells to be stacked. The beverage container well is locatedadjacent to the edge of the tray. The use of a beverage container wellhaving a flat bottom limits use of the device to very limited sizes ofbeverage containers, for if too tall a container is placed in the well,it may topple over since it is not intended that the user hold thebeverage container. Similarly, the diameters of beverage containers thatwill fit in the beverage container well are very limited. If thebeverage container well diameter is too large, it will not contact thebeverage container except on the bottom, making the arrangement unstableand vulnerable to spillage. The only effective way to overcome theselimitations would be to make a variety of models of trays, each with adifferent diameter and depth of beverage container well, which isunlikely to be an appealing idea for either manufacturers or users.Further, the deep beverage container well extends quite substantiallybelow the general plane of the tray. Consequently, this device will notrest flat on a flat surface, such as a table, even without a beveragecontainer inside it, thereby decreasing both its utility and itsmarketability.

Published Patent Application Number U.S. 2005/0161453 A1, disclosing aninvention by Corrieri, was published on Jul. 28, 2005 and discloses aCombination Food and Beverage Plate Combination Plate comprising a platehaving a circular opening at one end, save for a very short outermostarc portion of about 5-8° of arc. The circular cup holder portion isthickened relative to the plate, including a depending tapered portionand an upward projecting portion above the surface of the plate. A slotformed by the incomplete closure of the arcuate arms of the circularopening allows a stem of a wine glass, for example, to be inserted intoit so that the beverage glass portion of the wine glass can be seated inthe beverage aperture. In use, the user's thumb is placed on top of theplate, while the user's fingers lie under the plate along the plate rimand a recessed compartment. That is, it is intended that thecantilevered weight of the plate must be supported by the user's thumb,which will quickly result in user fatigue. A beverage container is heldin position by frictional engagement of its side walls with the taperedsleeve 30. It is specifically contemplated that the sleeve 30 holds thebeverage container without aid from the user and the description of theplacement of the user's hand does not involve any contact between theuser's hand and the tapered sleeve that holds the beverage container.Therefore, this design requires the user to surrender control of thebeverage container to the plate and strictly limits the sizes, i.e., thediameters and shapes of beverage containers, thereby decreasing theutility and marketability of this device.

U.S. Published Patent Application Number US 2004/0099670 A1, disclosingan invention by Michaeli and published on May 27, 2004, discloses aBuffet Plate comprising a plate having an outwardly and upwardly slopedside wall and a circular recess for receiving a beverage container. Thecircular recess is bounded by a partial sleeve that projects downwardlyat approximately 90° from the top surface of the plate and that isrigidly connected to the plate. The user's thumb is placed on the topsurface of the plate while the fingers are placed underneath the plateto secure a grip on the beverage container, which is an awkward andunnatural grip that is sure to lead to fatigue. This design does notallow the user to maintain continuous control of the beverage containerat all times using the same hand. The user must alternate betweenholding the beverage container using the free hand that is not holdingthe food plate, or else the user must transfer control of the beveragecontainer to the plate so that the free hand can be used to consume foodfrom the plate. The grip on the plate is different from the way that onewould ordinarily hold a plate and is less secure after the beveragecontainer has been removed because the plate can only be securely andnaturally gripped when a beverage container is present in the circularrecess designed to hold it. The circular recess for receiving a beveragecontainer is designed with an open end that is slightly smaller in widthcompared to the diameter of the recess. The circular recess cannotreadily receive beverage containers of various sizes because beveragecontainers that are too large will not fit and beverage containers thatare too small will fall through the opening. Most beverage containers,for example, a soda can or tumbler, must be inserted though the top ofthe circular recess and removed the same way, that is, they cannot bemoved horizontally into or out of the receiving circle, which is anatural function of the present invention. All of these limitationsresult in a design that is awkward to use and is therefore unlikely tobe successful in the marketplace.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,141 B1, issued to Cinque on Mar. 9, 2004, disclosesa One-hand Refreshment Center comprising a roughly circular plate with adeep well having open ends on the side of the well for holding foodcontainers and an extension portion formed by outwardly convergenttangent lines terminating in a beverage container well. The beveragecontainer well has three depending legs, each with an inwardly pointedperpendicular foot portion for engaging the bottom of a beveragecontainer. This device can hold only beverage containers of a limitednumber of sizes and shapes and is not designed for the user to maintaincontinuous control of the beverage container and food plate with onehand while inserting or removing the beverage container from the plateusing the same hand. The user must therefore surrender control of thebeverage container to the plate, i.e., the plate actually controls thebeverage container. Further, this device would be expensive tomanufacture and lacks esthetic appeal needed to succeed in themarketplace, thereby decreasing the desirability and thus themarketability of this device.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,890 B1, issued to Persson on Feb. 17, 2004,discloses a Beverage Holding Plate comprising a plate having a veryshallow flat-bottomed well portion for holding a standard sized beveragecontainer, e.g., an aluminum drink can. This flat-bottom design does nothold the beverage container in a stable manner and can only acceptbeverage containers of limited sizes and dimensions. Further, thisdesign requires the user to surrender control of the beverage containerto the plate and also requires the beverage container to be placed in anunstable and top-heavy condition, leaving the user concerned about thebeverage container from toppling over and making a mess. All of theselimitations make this design undesirable and awkward to use.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,625, issued to Gibbar on Aug. 26, 2003, discloses aDrink Vessel Holder comprising an upstanding circular cross section sidewall forming a collar, which may be cylindrical or downwardly tapered,which is fixed to the upper surface of a plate for receiving and holdinga beverage container. The user does not and likely cannot hold thebeverage container in the resulting beverage container well portion, andmust therefore surrender control of the beverage container to the plate.The user must lift the beverage container up and out of the containersleeve in order to drink from it, which would be inconvenient. Further,only a limited number of shapes and sizes of beverage containers can beseated in the beverage container sleeve. This limitation can only beovercome by supplying different collars for different shapes and sizesof beverage containers, a logistical difficulty. In this case too, thebeverage container is placed into an unstable and top-heavy conditionsthat is amplified further with a tall beverage container, which willcause the user to always be concerned about its toppling over and makinga mess. All of these limitations and deficiencies make this designundesirable and awkward to use.

U.S. Design Pat. No. D473,757 S, issued to Schwartz on Apr. 29, 2003,discloses a Serving Tray comprising a tray having a circular openingnear its center, with a long slot extending from the circular openingthrough the perimeter of the tray. The lip of the circular opening isthe highest point on the tray, the same height as the reinforcing webmembers on the tray, with a lower reinforcing rib running about theperimeter of the circular opening along the bottom surface of the tray.The cup holder portion, being near the center of the tray, does notallow the user to engage or hold the beverage container with his handand therefore, the user must surrender control of the beverage containerto the plate. Further, the circular opening makes it suitable only fortapered or stemmed beverage containers of limited sizes and any beveragecontainer except a stemmed glass can only be inserted through the top ofthe opening and cannot be inserted into the cup holder from the side.All these limitations reduce the utility and marketability of thisdevice.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,914, issued to Schmidt on Feb. 8, 2000, discloses aHors D'Oeuvre Tray comprising a food tray having a circular openingabout one-third of the distance across the face of the tray forreceiving a beverage container with a very wide tapered slot runningbetween the circular opening and the perimeter of the tray. This designis optimally suited for use with a stemmed beverage container, but thereference also indicates that a flat bottom beverage container can beplaced onto the flat surface surrounding the circular opening. Thisdesign does not allow the user to grip the beverage container and trayat the same time using only one hand. Because the cup holder portion iscircular, only a limited number of sizes and shapes of beveragecontainers can be used and if the beverage container does not fit intothe circular opening, then it must be balanced precariously on theadjacent flat surface of the tray, which could result in spillage.Further, the beverage container must be tapered from a larger topdiameter to a smaller bottom diameter, or this device cannot be used,thereby diminishing its utility and its marketability.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,011, issued to Xu on Sep. 7, 1999, discloses a FoodPlate with Thumb and Beverage Container Apertures for Gripping andHolding with One Hand comprising a tray with a circular cup-receivingportion having a raised circular portion with a hole at the center and aplurality of serrated lines 17 forming a plurality of triangular tabsections that are pressed downward to form a cup holder portion of theplate relatively close to an edge of the plate. The triangular tabs gripa beverage container. The user is supposed to place his fingers aboutthe beverage container and his thumb through a thumb hole and onto thetop surface of the plate. This arrangement requires the user tosurrender control of his beverage container entirely when trying toretrieve it because he must disengage his hand entirely from thebeverage container, remove his thumb from the thumb hole and then reacharound the plate and on top of the plate to grasp the beverage containeragain. Further, as is the case with so many of these devices, thebeverage container holder is a circular hole, which is only suitable forholding tapered cups of limited diameters, since the beverage containermust be tapered from a larger top diameter to a smaller bottom diameter,or this device cannot be used, thereby diminishing its utility and itsmarketability.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,264, issued to Lipkowitz on Jun. 23, 1998 disclosesa Wine Tasting Pallet having a cup-holder portion with three circularholes of a relatively small diameter, which can only receive a stemmedbeverage container inserted through a slot leading into the circularhole. This device will not accept a normal sized beverage container andis specifically designed for use with stemmed wine glasses only.Therefore, it clearly cannot provide the utility of the presentinvention.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,678, issued to Chen on Mar. 17, 1998, discloses aTwo-In-One Paper Dish and Cup Holder comprising a tray having acup-holder portion at one end, which consists of a circular aperture forreceiving a beverage container. A flap forms a bottom in the cup holder,which can be removed to accommodate a lager cup. This device, however,can only hold tapered beverage containers of limited size and shape andthe user must surrender control of the beverage container to the plateonce it is placed into the cup holder portion. Further, it is intendedthat to be stable, the user must insert his thumb through a thumb holeand rest his thumb on the top surface of the plate, making it awkward toremove his hand from the tray. The user therefore cannot hold thebeverage container and the plate together at the same time using onehand thereby decreasing the desirability and thus the marketability ofthis device.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,593, issued to Wiens on Sep. 3, 1996, discloses acombination food and Beverage Plate resembling a painter's pallette andcomprising a circular opening on one end for holding a beverage cup.This flat bottom design does not hold the beverage container in a stablemanner and can only accept beverage containers of limited sizes anddimensions. Furthermore, the user must surrender control over thebeverage container once it is placed into the cup holder portion. Thisdesign requires that the beverage container be placed into an unstableand top-heavy condition that is made worse when tall beverage containersare used, which causes the user to always be concerned about itstoppling over and making a mess. All of these limitations make thisdesign undesirable and awkward to use.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,070, issued to McSpadden on Sep. 13, 1994, disclosesa Portable Food Tray with Cup Holder comprising a raised cylindricalportion having side walls extending above the floor of the tray forreceiving a beverage container. The bottom wall of the cup-holderportion is serrated for easy removal so that the device can accommodatetaller beverage containers. The area adjacent to the side wallunderneath the top surface of the tray is void, allowing the user togrip the beverage container from underneath the tray, which is awkwardat best. Because the resulting opening in the tray is circular and theupstanding sleeve is cylindrical when the bottom wall of the cup holderportion is removed, this design can only be used for tapered beveragecontainers having circular cross sections and containers small enough tofit into the circular opening. If the serrated portion of the beveragesleeve is removed to accommodate a taller beverage container, thisdesign can only be used for a tapered beverage container having a bottomdiameter small enough to fit into the cup holder portion and topdiameter large enough to be captured by the cup holder portion. The usercannot remove the beverage container from the tray with the same handthat is holding the tray itself without first transferring control ofthe tray and the beverage container to the free hand, thereby forcingthe user to surrender direct control of the beverage container to thetry. All of these limitations diminish the desirability and hencemarketability of this design.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,750, issued to Moller on Feb. 9, 1993, discloses aParty Dish, comprising a food tray having a circular aperture forreceiving a tapered beverage container in which the bottom of thecontainer has a smaller diameter than the top of the container. Thecontainer holder portion is only the thickness of the plate itself. Auser must surrender control of the beverage container to the plate whenthe beverage container is placed into the cup holder, that is, only theplate controls the beverage container and the user cannot hold thebeverage container. Only tapered beverage containers can be received inthe circular hole and they cannot be inserted into the hole from theside, only from the top. Therefore, this device requires the user tocarefully insert and withdraw the beverage container vertically into andout of the cup holder, thereby reducing both its utility and itsmarketability.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,161, issued to Kimishima on Aug. 24, 1993, disclosesa Device for Holding a Glass comprising a sleeve enclosed at the bottomend that can hold a beverage container. The device has a protrusion onone side at its top edge that includes a loop through which a user caninsert his thumb. When the thumb is held vertically, the beveragecontainer in the cup holder will lean against the base of the user'sthumb, thereby keeping the beverage container upright. The user can thenhave the tip of the thumb and his fingers free to grasp a whollyseparate food plate. This device does not combine a food plate andbeverage container holder into a single device; requires the user toassume and maintain an awkward position with his hand and thumb;requires the user to cantilever the food plate over his fingers, securedonly by his thumb on the top surface of the plate; and does not allowthe user to maintain in-contact control over his beverage container withone hand while also holding the food plate in the same hand, which areall natural functions of the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,743, issued to Costarella et al. On May 4, 1993,discloses a Drinking Vessel Supporting Plate for One Hand comprising aplate having a circular aperture in its very center with a uniform crownaround the perimeter of the plate, creating a corresponding circularchannel about the aperture on the bottom of the plate, which is intendedto allow the user to balance the entire plate on his fingertips. Theuser must surrender control of the beverage container to the plate whenthe beverage container is placed into the cup holder, that is, only theplate controls the beverage container and the user cannot hold thebeverage container directly. Holding this device as intended is awkwardand unnatural, as no person regularly walks around at a social functionwith their fingers pointing up and the hand elevated above the elbow. Asis the case with many of these devices, this design is both odd inappearance and odd to use, thereby diminishing its utility and itsmarketability.

All of the above designs suffer from problems that make themunattractive or unusable for the purposes intended. None allows the userto have contact with and complete control over the beverage container atall times with one hand. They do not allow the user to convenientlyplace the beverage container in a holder and remove it from the holderwith one and the same hand while maintaining continuous contact with andcontrol over the beverage container. None can accommodate a wide varietyof shapes and sizes and non-uniform sizes of beverage containers. Andthey are often not appropriate for every type of social setting wherefood and drink may be served.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a principal objective of the present invention toprovide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion thatallows a user to hold a food plate and a beverage container of a widevariety of shapes and sizes in one hand and to remove or replace thebeverage container from the food plate with the same hand.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food platewith beverage container receiving portion that readily allows a user tomaintain constant contact with, and total control over the beveragecontainer at all times, even when engaging the beverage container withthe food plate portion of the device itself and when disengaging thebeverage container from the food plate portion of the device, all thewhile using the same hand.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food platewith beverage container receiving portion that readily accommodates awide variety of shapes and sizes and non-uniform sizes of beveragecontainers.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food platewith beverage container receiving portion that is easy to hold, evenwhen the plate is filled with food and the beverage container is full byencouraging the user through its design to place his index finger aroundthe beverage container and on the top surface of the plate, therebyavoiding a cantilevered load that must be supported by the user's thumbin much of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food platewith beverage container receiving portion that can lie flat on a flatsurface, thereby increasing both the utility of the device and theappearance of utility of the device, both of which increasemarketability of the device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food platewith beverage container receiving portion that has a pleasing estheticappearance suitable for extended use while interacting socially withothers at any occasion or social setting regardless of how formal orinformal such occasion may be, thereby increasing the universe of eventsfor which it is suitable and its esthetic appeal, both of which increasethe marketability of the device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food platewith beverage container receiving portion that allows the user tomaintain secure control over the beverage container at all times withone hand by holding the beverage container and the food plate togetherat the same time using only one hand, and, when holding the food plateportion alone with the other hand, engaging the beverage container intothe beverage receiving portion or removing the beverage container fromthe beverage container receiving portion with the other hand, increasingthe user's sense of security in handling both the beverage container andthe food plate, both of which increase the marketability of the presentinvention.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food platewith beverage container receiving portion that can be stacked or nestedwith other food plates with beverage container receiving portions of thesame type.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food platewith beverage container receiving portion that can be manufacturedinexpensively from a variety of suitable materials.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food platewith beverage container receiving portion that can be placed on a flatlevel surface in a stable and level manner parallel with the surfaceupon which it is placed and that can therefore be used in the samemanner as a standard conventional plate, whether disposable or not.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food platewith beverage container receiving portion that can be used by either aright-hand user or a left-handed user with equal convenience.

These and other objects of the present invention are achieved byproviding a food plate having a wide-mouth arcuate recess at one edge,which may be a segment of a circle or some other generally arcuate shapewhen viewed in a top view and in which the preferred embodiment is aparabola. The wide-mouth arcuate, preferably parabolic, recess isnecessary to insure that a wide variety of beverage container sizes andshapes can be brought into close proximity with the food plate, so thatboth the food plate and the beverage container can be held at the sametime using the same hand.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration andexample, the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the bestmode currently known to the inventor for carrying out his invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a food plate with beverage containerreceiving portion according to the present invention shown in use with abeverage container having a tapered circular cross-section sidewall;

FIG. 2 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 1 shown in use.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed from the topwith the right side closer to the viewer.

FIG. 4 is a cross section view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an edge view of the device of FIG. 1 looking at device towardthe edge having the arcuate opening, i.e., a rear view.

FIG. 7 is a left side view of the device of FIG. 1 shown in use with astemmed beverage container.

FIG. 8 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a left side view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary top view of the device of FIG. 1 showing thedevice being used with a cylindrical beverage container having adiameter similar in size to the opening of the mouth of the beveragereceiving recess.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary top view of the device of FIG. 1 showing thedevice being used with a cylindrical beverage container having adiameter smaller than the opening of the mouth of the beverage receivingrecess.

FIG. 12 is a bottom right-hand isometric view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1 showing an alternativeembodiment of the device of FIG. 1 employing gripping friction ridges.

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the device of FIG. 1 showing an alternativeembodiment of the device of FIG. 1 employing gripping friction ridges.

FIG. 15 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of the deviceof FIG. 1 viewed from the top with the right side closer to the vieweremploying a high friction gripping surface in the beverage containerreceiving portion.

FIG. 16 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1 showing the high frictiongripping surface as in FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 1 showing analternative embodiment of FIG. 1 employing gripping friction ridges.

FIG. 18 is left side view of the device of FIG. 1 showing an alternativeembodiment of FIG. 1 employing gripping friction ridges.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along lines 19-19 of FIG. 16 showingthe rear surface of the depending skirt portion of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed from the topwith the right side closer to the viewer showing an alternativeembodiment in which the arcuate recess has no depending skirt orupstanding collar, relying on the edge of the arcuate opening in thedevice for receiving a beverage container.

FIG. 21 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed from the topwith the right side closer to the viewer showing an alternativeembodiment in which the arcuate recess for receiving a beveragecontainer is bounded by an upstanding collar portion.

FIG. 22 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed from the topwith the right side closer to the viewer showing an alternativeembodiment in which the arcuate recess for receiving a beveragecontainer is bounded by a depending skirt portion and an alignedupstanding collar portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 a food plate with beverage container receivingportion 10 includes a food-holding plate portion 12 having a rim 14about its perimeter. In FIG. 1, the left side of the food plate withbeverage container receiving portion 20 is visible and in the FIG. 2,the right side is visible. The rim 14 is upwardly convex, stiffening theplate portion 12 so that it can bear more weight than could be borne bya flat sheet of the same material and has an upper surface 15. The plateportion 12 includes a downwardly and inwardly sloping side wall 16,further strengthening the food plate with beverage container receivingportion 20 and providing a bowl or the like having a bottom wall 18,which is flat or substantially flat, which is intended to hold food orother items. The beverage container receiving portion 20, formedintegrally with the food plate with beverage container receiving portion10, includes a wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 and a depending skirtportion 24 along the whole length of the arcuate recess perimeter 26.The depending skirt portion 24 depends downwardly at an angle lying in arange of 90° to about 95° relative to the general plane of said plateportion, with an over-center angle on the depending skirt portion 24being a preferred embodiment and tending to project the lower or bottomedge 51 of the depending skirt portion 24 outwardly, i.e., outwardlyfrom the plate portion 12, with the preferred angle being about 3°over-center, which facilitates stacking or nesting multiple units andfacilitates usage.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 the user's right hand 28 is shown using thefood plate with beverage container receiving portion 20 by curling hisfingers about the beverage container 30, with his index finger 32wrapped about the beverage container 30 above and in contact with thebeverage container receiving portion 20 of the food plate with beveragecontainer receiving portion 10, his middle finger 34 wrapped about thebeverage container 30 below and in contact with the food plate withbeverage container receiving portion 10, his ring finger 36 similarlyengaged in the normal manner with the beverage container 30 below thefood plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and in contactwith his middle finger 34 and his pinkie finger 38 curled up along thebottom wall 40 of the beverage container 30. Alternatively, the pinkiefinger 38 can be aligned with the other fingers. The user's thumb 42 isopposed to the fingers 32, 34, 36 and 38 in the usual manner and gripsthe beverage container 30. The fingers 32, 34, 36 and possibly 38,together with the thumb 42 clamp the beverage container 30 against theskirt portion 24, deforming and bending the skirt portion 24 to more orless conform to the shape of the beverage container 30, although onlytwo points or lines of contact between the beverage container 30 and theskirt portion 24 are needed to achieve a firm and secure hold on boththe food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and thebeverage container 30. A beverage container 30 having a diameter lessthan the smallest arc in the root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22will have only one point or line of contact with the portion 20, while abeverage container 30 having a diameter greater that the smallest arc inthe root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 will have two points orlines of contact, as described in more detail below in connection withFIGS. 7, 10, 11.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, 5, the rim 14 includes a perimeter 44 and aparallel first embossed groove 46 and a second parallel embossed groove48, defining the junction between food holding plate portion 12 and theside wall 16 for increased rigidity and to define a tunnel 45 (as bestseen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 12) that the user inserts a finger into,preferably and naturally the middle finger 34. In the preferredembodiment, the tunnel 45 is a gap between the depending skirt portion24 and the plate portion 12, as defined by the arcuate top edge or ridge49 along the length of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22, which isarcuate, but is not circular or semi-circular, but is preferably aparabola, or which may resemble a parabola, which is essential foraccommodating beverage containers of various sizes and shapes, sinceonly one or two points of actual natural contact, that is, prior to anydeformation of the skirt portion 24 by the user's hand 28, which causesthe points of contact to become lines of contact, is required in orderfor a user to securely hold the beverage container against the skirtportion 24. In the preferred embodiment, the parabolic wide-moutharcuate opening 22 is defined by the general equation y=ax²+bx+c, wherea, b and c are constants and the x and y values define the resultingshape of the parabola. This equation can be simplified by setting b andc equal to -0-, resulting in the equation y=ax². In the preferredembodiment, the value for x at the intersection point of the perimeterand the recess perimeter 76 is equal to one-half of the width of thearcuate opening 47, falling within a range of about 3-5 cm (1.18-1.97inch) with the preferred distance being 3.96 cm (1.56 inch). In thepreferred embodiment, the value for y at the intersection point of theperimeter and the recess perimeter 76 is equal to the depth of thearcuate opening 74, which falls within with a range of about 2-5 cm(0.78-1.96 inch), with the preferred depth being 3.5 cm (1.38 inches).These values for x and y may be larger or smaller in any direction tocreate a wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 of any desired size and shape,but the preferred values for x and y create a wide-mouth arcuate opening22 that is well suited for most sizes and shapes of beverage containers.Entering the preferred values for x and y into the simplified equationfor a parabola yields a preferred value for “a” equal to 0.223 cm⁻¹(0.57 inch⁻¹). Likewise, entering values for x in the range of 3-5 cmand values for y in the range of 2-5 cm into the simplified equation fora parabola yields a value for “a” within the range of 0.08-0.555 cm⁻¹(0.2-1.41 inch⁻¹). Thus the preferred embodiment for the wide-moutharcuate opening 22 is a parabola defined by the equation y=ax², where“a”=0.223 cm⁻¹ (0.57 inch⁻¹). Expressed alternatively, the width of thewide-mouth arcuate opening 22 presents an angle 43 about the perimeter44 lying in a range of about 30°-95° of the perimeter 44, of a circularplate, with the preferred arc of the opening 22 being 56°. Thewide-mouth arcuate opening 22 must be approximately within theprescribed range in order to allow beverage containers of widely varyingsize to be received and seated in the arcuate recess that forms thebeverage container receiving portion 20. Too small an opening will notallow certain beverage containers to be received and too large anopening will prevent meaningful contact between the food plate withbeverage container receiving portion 10 and a beverage container. In anycase, of course the opening 22 must be wider than the diameter of anybeverage container that the food plate with beverage container receivingportion 10 can receive. This structure allows the user to easily holdthe top and bottom surfaces of the tunnel 54 easily, thereby securingthe beverage container 30 against the food plate with beverage containerreceiving portion 10. Alternatively, the arcuate opening 47 may be asegment of a circle or other shape that presents a mouth and an openingthat allows a beverage container to be moved into contact with a recessin the plate 10. The tunnel 45 is parallel to and coextensive with thedepending skirt portion 24. As best seen in FIG. 3, the skirt portion 24of the beverage receiving portion 20 is tapered slightly outward fromthe food-holding plate portion 12 from its top edge, or ridge, 49 to itsbottom edge 51, which allows the skirt portion 24 to accommodate taperedbeverage containers 30 more readily, but is not absolutely requiredsince the skirt portion 24 in the preferred embodiment is moderatelyflexible and deformable under slight force from the user. The desirableoutward and downward taper is in a range of 2°-10°, with the preferredtaper being about 3° over perpendicular from the general plane of thebottom wall 18. This small taper in the depending skirt portion 24provides increased strength, thereby keeping the plate portion 12 flatwhen the weight of the food is added to the plate portion 12.

As seen in FIGS. 4, 6, 8, 9, the lower edge 46 of the skirt portion 24is even with and defines a straight line with the lower surface 50 ofthe bottom wall 18 of the plate portion 12, insuring that the food platewith beverage container receiving portion 10 will lie level when placedon a flat surface. That is, the bottom edge 51 of the depending skirtportion 24 and a bottom surface 51 of said plate portion 12 extend belowthe rim 14 of said plate by the same distance, whereby the food platewith beverage container receiving portion 10 will lie level when placedon a flat level surface. Alternatively, the skirt portion may be longerthan the depth of the food plate portion if a shallower food portion isdesired, or if a longer skirt is desired, but it has been found that thepreferred embodiment is stable and level when placed on a flat levelsurface, which provides the user with a sense of security regarding thebeverage container in using the food plate with beverage containerreceiving portion 10, secure in the understanding that food is not goingto fall from the food plate 10 and liquids in the plate portion 12 arenot going to spill when the food plate 10 is set down on a flathorizontal surface, such as a table, thereby increasing the estheticappeal and the marketability of the food plate 10. Further, as best seenin FIG. 4, the perimeter 44, upper surface 15 and the top edge 49 of theskirt portion 24 lie along a straight line parallel to the bottom wall18 of the plate portion 12, so the top edge of the food plate withbeverage container receiving portion 10 is straight across the foodplate with beverage container receiving portion 10, making it parallelto the line defined by the bottom edges or surfaces of the food platewith beverage container receiving portion 10, providing a pleasingsymmetry.

Referring to FIG. 7, the food plate with beverage container receivingportion 10 is shown in use with a stemmed wine glass 52, showing howreadily the skirt portion 24 allows for easy gripping of a beveragecontainer 52 having a diameter much smaller than the root of thewide-mouth arcuate opening of the beverage container receiving portion22. In this case, the thumb 42 clamps the stem of the wine glass 54against the arcuate recess perimeter 26 using the same grip as shown inFIG. 1. Although the thumb 42 as shown in FIG. 7 is locatedsubstantially closer to the arcuate recess perimeter 26 when compared tothe location of the thumb 42 shown in FIG. 1, the direction andorientation of the thumb 42 and the fingers 32, 24, 26 and 38 are thesame regardless of the size of the beverage container 30, 52 or 62 beingheld in the receiving portion 22.

Referring to FIG. 10, a cylindrical beverage container 56, having a muchlarger diameter than the beverage container 30 in FIG. 1 is shown, witha diameter of about 8.3 cm (3.28 inches). In this case, the beveragecontainer 56 has two points of contact, 58, 60, with the depending skirtportion 24 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26, which may become lines ofcontact if the skirt portion 24 is deformed, with the arcuate recessperimeter 26 being tangential to the cylindrical beverage container 56,resulting in a gap 82 at the root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22of the preferred embodiment that is approximately 0.8 cm (0.31 inch) anda gap 90 at the intersection point of the perimeter and the recessperimeter 76 that is approximately 0.09 cm (0.035 inch). These aresufficient to allow the beverage container 56 and the food plate withbeverage container receiving portion 10 to be held together securely andeasily, just as is shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 11, a substantially smaller beverage container 62having a diameter of about 7.25 cm (2.87 inches), is shown in contactwith the arcuate recess perimeter 26. In this case, the beveragecontainer 62 has two points of contact 78, 80 with the depending skirtportion 24 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26, which are in a differentlocation than the location of the points of contact 58, 60 showing inFIG. 10. The two points of contact 78, 80 between the beverage container62 and the depending skirt portion 24 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26will become lines of contact if the depending skirt portion 24 isdeformed, with the arcuate recess perimeter 26 being tangential to thecylindrical beverage container 56, resulting in a gap 84 at the root ofthe wide-mouth accurate opening 22, that is approximately 0.43 cm (0.17inch), and a gap 92 at the intersection point of the perimeter and therecess perimeter 76 that is approximately 0.37 cm (0.146 inch). Thesegaps are sufficient to allow the beverage container 62 and the foodplate with beverage container receiving portion 10 to be held togethersecurely and easily, just as shown in FIG. 1 with a much larger beveragecontainer 30.

The basic shape of the food plate with beverage container receivingportion 10 is not essential and it may be made in any desirableconvenient shape, e.g., oval, octagonal, square, and so forth. Varioustypes and numbers of embossed lines, side walls and so forth may beemployed for stiffening if desired. It may be made from plastic, pressedpaper or paperboard, or any other suitable material. It may be made byany convenient means, including, for example, molding, pressing, and soforth. The skirt portion may include one or more slits to facilitate itsflexibility. The thickness of the material of the food plate withbeverage container receiving portion 10 may be uniform, but the beveragecontainer receiving portion may be thicker for greater strength ifdesired.

Referring to FIG. 12 a bottom view of the tunnel 45 is shown.

Referring to FIGS. 13, 14, an alternative embodiment of the food platewith beverage container receiving portion 10 includes an upper surfaceleft side patch of friction ridges 64 and an upper surface right sidepatch of friction ridges 66 on the top surface 31 of the beveragecontainer receiving portion 20. Corresponding bottom left and rightpatches of friction ridges 68, 70 respectively are formed on the bottomsurface 33 of the beverage container receiving portion 20, as shown inFIG. 14. These friction ridges, which consist of a plurality of frictionridges, may be integrally formed by means of molding, pressing, or thelike or by any other known process, such as, for example, adhering aseparate friction material on the top surface 31 or the bottom surface33 of the beverage container receiving portion 20. As shown, theopposing surfaces, that is, the left side patches of friction ridges 64,68 have identical shapes and sizes, as do the right side patches 66, 70.Alternatively, such patches of friction ridges may be formed on only thetop surface or bottom surface, or may have different sizes and shapes onthe upper surface or bottom surface, or may be continuous along the topsurface 31 or the bottom surface 33. The friction ridges 64, 66, 68, 70are located adjacent to the ends 25, 27 of the arcuate recess perimeter26.

Referring to FIGS. 15, 16, a high friction open celled plastic frictionstrip 72, or other high friction strip, is integrally formed or affixedto the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 side of the depending skirt portion24 of the beverage container receiving portion 20. The friction strip 72may be integrally formed by means of molding, or the like, or by anyother know process such as adhering a separate friction strip 72 to thewide-mouth arcuate opening 22 of the depending skit portion 24 of thebeverage container receiving portion 20. The friction strip 72 may bemade from particles or from an open or a closed cell foam plasticmaterial, or may be a plurality of friction ridges molded into the foodplate with beverage container receiving portion 10. The friction strip72 increases the contact area and friction between the skirt portion 24and any beverage container, thereby requiring less force by the user tomaintain a secure grip on the beverage container and the food plate withbeverage container receiving portion 10. Alternatively, the frictionstrip 72 may occupy only a portion of the skirt portion 24 or mayconsist of two or more segments distributed along the skirt portion 24.

Referring to FIGS. 17, 18, 19, in an alternative embodiment, as shown inFIG. 17, friction ridges 86 are formed along the outer surface 88 of thedepending skirt portion 24 along its right-hand rear surface 87 and, asshown in FIG. 18, in the same alternative embodiment, the frictionridges 86 are shown along the left-hand rear surface of the dependingskirt portion 24 and these friction ridges continue about the whole ofthe rear surface 88 of the depending skirt portion 24, as shown in FIG.19. The structure of all the friction ridges or surfaces 64, 66, 68, 70,86 serve to facilitate gripping the plate, thereby providing a user witha sense that the plate is studier and provides a more secure grip,thereby increasing user perception of quality of the device and therebyincreasing marketability of the plate.

Referring to FIG. 20, an alternative embodiment of the food plate withbeverage container receiving portion 10 relies on the edge 90 of thearcuate recess perimeter 26 to receive the beverage container 30, 52, 56or 62, that is, there is no depending skirt or the like. In thisembodiment, the user will hold the beverage container 30, 52, 56 or 62and secure it by having his index finger on the top surface of the foodplate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and his middle fingeragainst the lower surface of the food plate with beverage containerreceiving portion 10.

Referring to FIG. 21, there is shown an alternative embodiment of thefood plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 that includes anupstanding collar portion 92 that rises above the general plane of thefood plate with beverage container receiving portion 10. The upstandingcollar portion 92 replaces the depending skirt portion 24 in thisembodiment and follows the arcuate perimeter 26 of the arcuate opening22 in the same fashion as the preferred depending skirt portion 24. Inuse of this alternative embodiment, typically the user's index finger 32is wrapped around the collar portion 92 and the beverage container tohold both items securely.

Referring to FIG. 22, another alternative embodiment of the food platewith beverage container receiving portion 10 includes both an upstandingcollar portion 92 and the depending skirt portion 24, which arevertically aligned to produce an effectively single vertical member. Theupstanding collar portion 92 rises above the general plane of the rim 14of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 by adistance that is preferably the same as the distance that the dependingskirt portion 24 is below the general plane of the rim 14 of the foodplate with beverage container receiving portion 10. The upstandingcollar portion 92 is aligned with the depending skirt portion 24 andextends throughout entire length of the arcuate recess perimeter 26,although either or both of the depending skirt portion 24 and theupstanding collar portion 92 could occupy only one or more segments ofthe arcuate recess perimeter 26 and still function adequately. Theupstanding collar portion 92 can be covered with a friction surface oneither surface, if desired. The upstanding collar portion 92 on the foodplate with beverage container receiving portion 10 increases the surfacearea that a user will utilize in holding a beverage container 30, 52, 56or 62 by providing a gripping surface for holding the beverage container30, 52, 56 or 62 both above and below the rim 14 of the food plate withbeverage container receiving portion 10, which will normally utilize theusers index finger 32 to hold the beverage container 30, 52, 56 or 62above the rim 14 and his middle finger 34 to hold the beverage container30, 52, 56 or 62 below the rim 14, making for a very secure grip.

In the preferred method of use of the preferred embodiment as shown, forexample in FIG. 3, the user will move the beverage container into thearcuate recess of the plate 10 until the beverage container engages thedepending skirt portion 24, preferably sliding the index finger 32 alongthe arcuate recess perimeter 26 of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22along the top surface 31 and preferably sliding the middle finger 34along the bottom surface 33 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 into andthrough the tunnel 45, thereby gripping the depending skirt portion 24along its rear surface 88 (as best seen in FIG. 19). Thus, the tunnel 45receives and accommodates the middle finger 34, but may also accommodateany or all of a user's fingers. In this configuration, the index finger32 and the middle finger 34 are adjacent to each other in the normalcurled disposition of the hand, and are separated only by the thicknessof the plate 10 material, which is minimal. Thus, the posture of thehand 28, whether the left hand or the right hand, is entirely naturaland comfortable. The user's index finger 32, ring finger 36 and pinkiefinger 38 preferably remain in contact with the beverage container 30,56, or 62 at all times, that is, before, during and after engagement ofthe beverage container 30, 56, or 62 with the depending skirt portion 24in the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22, with only the middle finger 34being partially removed from contact with the beverage container 30, 56,62 in order for it to contact the depending skirt 24, thereby insuringthat the user retains complete and continuous control over the beveragecontainer 30, 56 or 62 throughout the process of securing the beveragecontainer 30, 56, or 62 against the plate 10 and removing the beveragecontainer 30, 56, or 62 from contact with the food plate with beveragecontainer receiving portion 10. Importantly, the user's thumb 42 gripsthe beverage container 30, 56, or 62 in opposition to the fingers 32,34-38 in the normal gripping position, thereby insuring a continuousfirm and secure grip on both the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 and onthe food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 at the sametime. The depending skirt portion 24 is moderately deformable andflexible and can be moderately deformed by the user's grip during usedue to the materials normally used in the manufacture of disposableplates and saucers, and although this characteristic may improve theperformance of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion10, this characteristic is not required for the successful use of thefood plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, which can beused easily and successfully without any deformation of the dependingskirt portion 24.

Referring again to FIGS. 15, 17, 18, in an alternative embodiment, the athickened portion 35 on the right side of the arcuate recess perimeter26 adjacent to the wide-mouth arcuate opening is provided along the topsurface 31 and a corresponding thickened portion 39 on the left side ofthe arcuate recess perimeter 26 adjacent to the wide-mouth arcuateopening is provided along the top surface 31. These thickened portions35, 39 increase the structural strength of the beverage containerreceiving portion of the food plate with beverage container receivingportion 10 and increase the user's perception of the utility and qualityof the device 10, thereby increasing its marketability. That is, thethickened portions 35, 39 increase the structural strength andfacilitates gripping the plate, providing a user with a sense that theplate is studier and thereby increasing marketability of the plate.

In use, the user of the food plate with beverage container receivingportion 10 will alternate between holding the food plate with beveragecontainer receiving portion 10 with a beverage container 30, 56, or 62engaged with the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 at the same time usingthe same hand, or holding the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 in onehand and the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 inthe other hand. When the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 and the foodplate with beverage container receiving portion 10 are held together inone hand, the other hand is free to use for eating from the plate 12 orfor other actives. To drink from the beverage container 30, 56, or 62,the user will take hold of the food plate with beverage containerreceiving portion 10 using the hand that is opposite of the hand holdingthe beverage container 30, 56 or 62 and the plate 10, allowing the userto disengage the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 from the plate 10 sothat the contents of the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 can beconsumed. Thus, the user has complete and direct contact with andcontrol over the beverage container at all times during use of the foodplate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and never surrenderscontrol over the beverage container 30, 56 or 62. These actions are allcompletely natural, seamless and intuitive for the user.

In use, the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10allows the user to securely hold any of a wide variety of shapes andsizes of beverage containers, while at the same time easily engaging ordisengaging the beverage container 30 or the like to and from the foodplate with beverage container receiving portion 10 without surrenderingdirect control of the beverage container 30 or the like. Thus, whileholding the beverage container 30 or the like and the food plate withbeverage container receiving portion 10 together with the same hand, theother hand is free to shake hands with other patrons of an event, or topickup and eat food from the food plate with beverage containerreceiving portion 10, or to do otherwise with the free hand.

While the present invention has been described in accordance with thepreferred embodiments thereof, the description is for illustration onlyand should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.Various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the following claims.

1. A plate comprising: a. a plate portion comprising a perimeter and asubstantially flat plate portion for holding products; b. a beveragecontainer receiving portion comprising a recessed portion in saidperimeter of said plate, said recessed portion comprising an arcuaterecess and a depending skirt portion along said arcuate recess, whereinsaid wide-mouth arcuate opening presents an opening lying in a range of30°-95° of said perimeter of the plate.
 2. A plate in accordance withclaim 1 further comprising a tunnel between said plate portion and saidbeverage container receiving portion, said tunnel lying under a topsurface of said beverage container receiving portion for receiving andaccommodating one or more fingers of a user.
 3. A plate in accordancewith claim 2 wherein said tunnel is parallel to and coextensive withsaid arcuate recess.
 4. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein saiddepending skirt depends from said beverage container receiving portionat an angle lying in a range of 90° to about 95° relative to the generalplane of said plate portion such that a bottom edge of said dependingskirt portion projects outwardly from said plate portion.
 5. A plate inaccordance with claim 1 wherein said wide-mouth arcuate opening presentsan opening of 56° of said perimeter of the plate.
 6. A plate inaccordance with claim 1 wherein said bottom edge of said depending skirtportion and a bottom surface of said plate portion extend below a rim ofthe plate by the same distance, whereby the plate will lie level whenplaced on a flat level surface, thereby increasing the marketability ofthe plate.
 7. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said recessedportion is a parabola defined by the equation y=ax²+bx+c with x lying ina range of 3-5 cm and −3 to −5 cm and y lying in the range of 2-5 cm. 8.A plate in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means forincreasing friction on at least one of an upper surface and a lowersurface of a rim of the plate adjacent to said recessed portion at eachof two ends of said recessed portion.
 9. A plate in accordance withclaim 8 wherein said friction means further comprises a plurality offriction ridges, whereby gripping the plate is facilitated, providing auser with a sense that the plate is studier and thereby increasingmarketability of the plate.
 11. A plate in accordance with claim 1further comprising a thickened portion of each of two ends of an uppersurface of said arcuate recess, whereby gripping the plate isfacilitated, providing a user with a sense that the plate is studier andthereby increasing marketability of the plate.
 12. A plate in accordancewith claim 1 wherein said perimeter of said plate portion furthercomprises an upper surface and said perimeter upper surface and a topedge of said skirt portion lie along a straight line parallel to abottom wall of said plate portion, whereby the top edge of the plate isstraight across the plate.
 13. A plate comprising: a. a plate portioncomprising a perimeter and a substantially flat plate portion forholding products; b. a beverage container receiving portion comprising arecessed portion in said perimeter of said plate, said recessed portioncomprising an arcuate recess and a depending skirt portion along saidarcuate recess; and c. a tunnel between said plate portion and saidbeverage container receiving portion, said tunnel lying under a topsurface of said beverage container receiving portion for receiving andaccommodating one or more fingers of a user.
 14. A plate in accordancewith claim 13 wherein said tunnel is parallel to and coextensive withsaid arcuate recess.
 15. A plate in accordance with claim 13 whereinsaid depending skirt depends from said beverage container receivingportion at an angle lying in a range of 90° to about 95° relative to thegeneral plane of said plate portion such that a bottom edge of saiddepending skirt portion projects outwardly from said plate portion. 16.A plate in accordance with claim 13 wherein said bottom edge of saiddepending skirt portion and a bottom surface of said plate portion abottom extend below a rim of the plate by the same distance, whereby theplate will lie level when placed on a flat level surface, wherebymarketability of the plate is increased.
 17. A plate in accordance withclaim 13 wherein said perimeter of said plate portion further comprisesan upper surface and said perimeter upper surface and a top edge of saidskirt portion lie along a straight line parallel to a bottom wall ofsaid plate portion, whereby the top edge of the plate is straight acrossthe plate.
 18. A plate comprising: a. a plate portion comprising aperimeter and a substantially flat plate portion for holding products;b. a beverage container receiving portion comprising a recessed portionin said perimeter of said plate, said recessed portion comprising anarcuate recess and a depending skirt portion along said arcuate recessfor receiving a beverage container and a corresponding upstanding collarportion along said arcuate recess, wherein said depending skirt portionand said upstanding collar portion are vertically aligned with oneanother for receiving a beverage container, thereby increasing theuser's perception of security regarding the beverage container andthereby increasing marketability of the plate, wherein said arcuateopening presents an opening lying in a range of 30°-95°of said perimeterof the plate; c. a tunnel between said plate portion and said beveragecontainer receiving portion, said tunnel lying under a top surface ofsaid beverage container receiving portion for receiving andaccommodating one or more fingers of a user, wherein said tunnel isparallel to and coextensive with said arcuate recess; d. means forincreasing friction on at least one of an upper surface and a lowersurface of a rim of the plate adjacent to said recessed portion at eachof two ends of said recessed portion, whereby gripping the plate isfacilitated, providing a user with a sense that the plate is studier andthereby increasing marketability of the plate; and e. a thickenedportion of each of two ends of an upper surface of said arcuate recess,whereby gripping the plate is facilitated, providing a user with a sensethat the plate is studier and thereby increasing marketability of theplate.
 19. A plate in accordance with claim 18 wherein said dependingskirt depends from said beverage container receiving portion at an anglelying in a range of 90° to about 95° relative to the general plane ofsaid plate portion such that a bottom edge of said depending skirtportion projects outwardly from said plate portion.
 20. A plate inaccordance with claim 18 wherein said perimeter of said plate portionfurther comprises an upper surface and said perimeter upper surface anda top edge of said skirt portion lie along a straight line parallel to abottom wall of said plate portion, whereby the top edge of the plate isstraight across the plate.
 21. A plate comprising: a. a plate portioncomprising a perimeter and a substantially flat plate portion forholding items; and b. a beverage container receiving portion comprisinga recessed portion in said perimeter of said plate, said recessedportion further comprising an arcuate parabolic shape.